


Hello, Melody

by TardisTexan



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-09
Updated: 2014-08-09
Packaged: 2018-02-12 11:56:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2108988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TardisTexan/pseuds/TardisTexan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor meets young Melody</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hello, Melody

**Author's Note:**

> This is a short fic inspired by this wonderful drawing by http://okashishii.tumblr.com/ [Just a spaceman](http://okashishii.tumblr.com/image/94228335667) When I saw it, it started off a story in my head that wouldn't go away until I wrote it down.

The Doctor was in his favorite comfy chair in his study, the lamp providing a warm light over the book in his lap, the book he hadn't picked up in hours. He was supposed to be distracting himself with research, but he couldn't concentrate. His mind wanted nothing more tonight than the memory of his wife. 

Everything the medium had said that day had brought up painful memories of River. He did what he always did, pushed it aside and kept moving, kept going until the foe was defeated, the mystery was solved, and everyone was safe. And he had a grand mystery right in front of him in Clara. He was able to concentrate on her most days, trying to find out what she was. But not today. 

Even whatever it was in his brain that was making him imagine River talking to him sometimes wasn't functioning properly tonight. All he was left with was his memories. The feel of her hand in his, the feel of her lips on his skin, the wildness of her curls after they had been running, the light in her eyes, the pain in her eyes... a million things. 

Before he realized it, he was in the console room. He felt the TARDIS pulling him toward the controls. “No! I can't bear it!” he yelled at the ceiling. He wanted to see River, desperately, but he was afraid. If he saw her with love in her eyes, it would pierce his hearts, and he would be flattened by his failure to save her all over again. 

He felt the pull of the TARDIS again, stronger. Trust Me, she was saying. The Doctor sighed a long sad sigh, and pulled the lever on the control panel, sending her into flight.

He didn't even look at the scanner when she landed, he just stepped outside the door. He was in a long dark hallway. It was so dreary and sad. The paint was dirty and peeling, the floors were filthy, and there was very little light. Light only came into the hall from under one doorway. The Doctor walked to the door and opened it. 

He knew instantly where he was. Amy and River had both told him about the room, the picture of the ballerina on the wall, and a photo of Amy on the dresser. And there on the floor on a sad, worn rug, was little Melody Pond.

She was playing with a doll that was missing most of it's clothes and one eye. When the door opened, the little girl had turned to look at him and was waiting patiently for him to say something.

He couldn't help it, he immediately went to her and picked her up. “Hello, Melody Pond,” he said happily, drinking in every detail of her features. He had Amy's eyes and Rory's hair and she was beautiful.

“Who are you, Sir?” the little girl asked politely. “Are you one of my new teachers?”

“No, I'm just a spaceman. I came to visit you, you can call me John.”

The little girl looked horrified and tried to get away from him. He let her down and she scrambled away behind her bed. “Are you a bad spaceman? Like the Doctor?”

The Doctor's stomach clenched. He sat down on the floor. “Do I look bad to you?”

Melody looked thoughtful, “No, I guess not.”

“What do you think about the way I look?”

“I think you look funny,” the little girl said. “You have funny hair and a weird tie around your neck.”

“It's not weird, it's cool!” the Doctor said, pretending to be wounded. 

“I'm sorry, didn't mean to make fun of your tie, John,” Melody said looking sad. He wanted to go to her and hug her tight but she was still afraid of him.

“Are there any other bad spacemen you know about?” he asked her.

“The one in the big white suit,” Melody whispered. 

“You are afraid of the the suit, aren't you?” the Doctor said softly. Melody nodded. 

“Well, not all spacemen are bad, I promise,” the Doctor said, picking up Melody's abandoned doll. “What is her name?” he asked.

“Amelia,” Melody said. 

“Amelia, that's a brilliant name,” the Doctor said. 

Melody shook her head in agreement, coming out from around the bed but still standing well back from the Doctor. 

“Oh!” The Doctor exclaimed. “I have something for you.” He rose and stuck his hands in both pockets, digging around for something. He of course had moved just a little too fast and he toppled backward and landed with his feet in the air. Melody giggled. 

The Doctor found what he was looking for and pulled it out his pocket. It was a naked Barbie doll who had seen better days. It's blonde hair was twisted and matted but he held it out to the little girl. “This little doll has had some rough times. She was even almost drowned in a submarine. But she's come through alright. I think she just needs a little love to make her all better again. Do you think you could love her, Melody?”

Melody reached for the doll. She touched her the doll's hair and then went over to her little dresser and retrieved her own hair brush. Melody sat down on the floor next to the Doctor and began to brush the doll's hair. The doll's hair had reminded him of River's hair and he watched Melody brush the hair, having about as much luck as River usually did. Her hands were like tiny versions of River's hands and he ached to reach out and hold one. 

“Would you like to hear about the submarine?” the Doctor asked. Melody nodded and brushed the doll's hair as she listened to the story. After the submarine, he told her story after story, including one about a brave princess who had been trapped in a spacesuit, but had been able to escape and run to a far away city. 

When he saw that the small girl was yawning and having a hard time keeping her eyes open, he scooped her up and put her into bed. He tucked the covers in around her and sat on the edge of the bed for one last story. This one was about the brave princess all grown up who married her prince on the top of a pyramid.

When Melody was asleep the Doctor kissed her forehead and gave in to his impulse of holding her tiny hand in his. “Goodnight Melody, my brave princess,” he said, “Thank you for letting me visit you.” He took her small hand and pressed his forehead against it. Then, speaking to her like he had spoken to a sleeping Amelia so long ago, “One day you'll meet your Spaceman again. Please believe him when he tells you that he loves you and that you are more than they have made you believe you are. You are amazing.”


End file.
